Zumba Fitness is a Latin inspired dance fitness program that combines international music and contagious steps to create the most fun fitness party. This program is exhilarating, effective, and very easy to follow. It can be addicting!! While you dance and exercise, you burn an incredible amount of calories. This fitness party is moving millions of people toward joy and health around the world.

Celebrity fitness trainer, "Beto" Perez, came up with the concept of Latin inspired fitness in his native country of Colombia in the mid 1990s simply by accident. One day, he walked into his class and realized that he had forgotten his aerobics music, and his only option was to grab whatever tapes he had in his car. Beto's tapes consisted of the songs that he loved, the traditional Latin salsa and merengue music he had known since his childhood. But it was very difficult to improvise an entire class on the spot using non-traditional aerobics music. Beto rose to meet the challenge and from this last-minute improvisation a revolutionary fitness program was born -- Zumba®!

I found Zumba through my mother who, in a difficult time in her life, used Zumba as a therapy to relieve her stress. She loved Zumba so much she became a Zumba instructor so she could help others in the way that she was helped. I used Zumba as my cardio workout because, let me tell you, it's the most fun way to do cardio. After four months of incorporating Zumba into my work out, four days a week, I lost 20 pounds and gained the ability to move and shake my hips in ways I never could before.

Through my experience with Zumba, I met tons of people who have been touched by Zumba in many different ways. For instance, I met a woman who would stand in the very back of the class so as not to be seen with her "uncoordinated moves." But it wasn't long before she caught the Zumba fever of the rest of class. She began to sing aloud to the lyrics, and inched herself closer to the crowd and her new friends. And when she shared her story, she said Zumba made her feel sexy and confident not only because she lost weight, but because she became confident in her moves and, therefore, confident in herself -- not to mention the accepting attitude of those dancing around her.

Another story I heard was about a woman who was taking medication for blood cots in her legs that caused immobility. But determined as ever, she decided to give a Zumba a chance to see if she could do it. She always loved dancing before this illness restricted her, and so she hoped this could be her means of doing it. And amazing things happened -- she gained the strength to walk up stairs: something she had long lost the ability to do. And she was eager to see what else Zumba would give her the strength to do.

It was so uplifting to be surrounded by so much positivity in my mother's classes. Because there's nothing more motivating in a workout class than success stories. Everyone seeking the fitness life could benefit from exposure to Zumba!

Getting involved with Zumba could also lead to getting involved with a cause. Many instructors host Zumbathons to raise money for certain causes, such as the hearing impaired, breast cancer, and even more! I got to participate in a local fundraiser hosted by my mom, Laurentz Cascante, for a boy in my neighborhood who suffered from a terrible event.

At the young age of 14, , Manny Galan, fainted in the snow on a family ski trip and was rushed to the hospital. His family was devastated to find him in a vegetative state. The doctors deemed it was caused by a blood clot in his heart and claimed the results were irreversible. Manny would be confined to a wheelchair and would not be able to take care of himself for the rest of his life. But Manny excelled in his treatments and was quick to return to his lifestyle. He returned to school and was able to display his understanding of the material being taught. His mind was working in the body that was hindering him.

This story moved my mother to host an event in honor of Manny, to further his treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Her event, Zumba For Manny, earned him about $3,000 toward research funding for his cause. And everyone had a blast in participating. Including, Manny.

Zumba helps people seeking a means to burn calories, but also those needing more positivity in their lives! All of us can benefit from that. It's not just your average workout, it's so much more! That one hour of Zumba is your time to relieve your stress and not think about anything else in the world. Not your problems, not what you're gonna make for dinner later -- just the moves -- because you're really having too much fun to care. Whether you need help coming out of your shell, or are seeking a fun way to get your daily workout in, Zumba is worth a shot. Who knows what incredible things it will do in your life?